Middlings-purifier



(No Model.)

Witnesses:

O. A. SMITH.

MIDDLINGS PURIFIER.

5 sheets she'et. 1.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1885.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. A. SMITH.

MIDDLINGS PURIFIER.

wil

u PETERS. PhoIo-Ulhognpbn. wmu xm u. c.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.. O. A. SMITH.

MIDDLINGS PURIFIERi Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

Inventor Witnesses:

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

C. A. SMITH.

MIDDLINGS PURIFIER.

Patented Nov. 17; 8 8'5.

llli I In ventoll Witnesses:

N. PETERS. PMwUlhcgnuber. Washing! D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

CHARLES A. SMITH, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

MlDDLINGS-PURll-IER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,746, dated November 17, 1885. Application filed May 9, 1885. Serial No. 164,967. (No model.)

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Middlings-Purifiers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

One part of the invention is designed to facilitate the removal from the machine of such material as is taken up by the air-currents and deposited or dropped during their passage through the zigzag path which they follow between the bolting-cloth and the fan, and this part of the invention relates to the construction of the machine with removable dustreceptacles. Other parts of the invention re-. late to details, which will be specifically pointed out.

Figure l is a side elevation of a purifier containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line y 3 Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, detached and enlarged, of the feeding devices. Fig, 5,is a vertical transverse section on line 2 .2, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, enlarged, of the chaintightener at the front end of the machine. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on linew w, Fig. 6.- vFig. 8 is a vertical section on line '0 c, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detached View, enlarged, of the rear end of one of the brushways and b arings for brush-shaft.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A A A A represent, generally, the framework.

B B B represent, respectively, the sides, the front end casing, and rear end casing.

B B is the top or deck of the casing, and B a horizontal partition arranged within the casing at a short distance below the deck and extending from the rear end nearly to the front end of the machine.

0 O is the shaker connected by one or more pitman-rods or links with a corresponding number of eccentrics, O, on the main shaft 0 By preference each pitman c is connected at its rear end with a transverse bar, 0, framed into the sides of the shaker-frame.

I D is the front wall, and D the rear wall, of the feed-hopper, extending the entire width of the machine.

D is a pressureboard hinged at its upper edge to the front wall, D, of the hopper.

D is asheet or fold of some flexible fabric such as canvas, leather, or the likeattached at one edge to the edge of the pressure-board and at its opposite edge to the Wall D, there being of course one of these sheets at each end of the pressure board, which is somewhat shorter than the wall D is wide, so as to leave aspace between each end of the pressureboard and the adjacent end Wall of the hopper.

E is the feed-roll below the mouth of the hopper, and driven in the direction of the ar-, row 2, Fig. 2. The lower edge of the wall D stops short of the f'eedroll, the space between the two being closed by a vibrating gate, which consists, essentially, of a bracket, E E, pivoted at e, and carrying the wooden strip or slat E Of course there are two pivots, 6, one at each end of the gate connecting the gate with the casing. By preference I provide the wooden strip or slat with ing-piece, e.

d is a spring connected with the upper end of the arm E of the gate by a link, d, and thumb-nnt d, by means of which the tension or pull upon the upper end of the arm, and consequently the pressure of the facing-strip 6, can be regulated at will.

d is a link connecting the lower end of the pressure-board D with the arm E, the outer end of the link being seated in a recess or socket, e, in the arm.

v As will be readily understood, the pressure of middlings upon the pressure-board D operates to withdraw the facing-piece e from the surface of the feed-roll, and thus form a throat through which material is discharged from the hopper upon the inclined guidingboard I), whence it passes to the shaker. Such, material as passes over the tail end of the a narrow metal facshaker enters atailings-hopper, B composed of the walls or casings b b hinged to b b b b". By hinging the board 6 to I) access is provided to the tailings-spout,so that the operator can examine material which passes over the tail end of the shaker.

The space within the machine and between the shaker and the partition B is divided by means of transverse partitions F F F into four main air-chambers, G G G G.

f ff barethroats or air-passages connecting the main air-chambers with auxiliary or supplemental air-chambers, g g g g, which extend the full width of the machine between the deck and the partition B.

H is a wind-trunk, preferably of the full width of the machine, and communicating with the supplemental air-chambers through throats h h It h.

I I 1 l are swinging valves ordamperssupported upon pivots within the air-trunk in such positions as to regulate the strength andvelocity of the air-currents through the airchambers G G G G and the underlying sections of bolt-cloth, which are by preference of'different degrees of fineness, the finest being at the bed of the shaker, the mesh growing progressively coarser to the tail end of the shaker.

1 1 are slotted bracket-arms, each attached to one of the pivots or shafts of the dampers or valves, and z z are setscrews passing through the slots and into the side wall of the wind-trunk, whereby the operator can set each of the valves in the required position.

J J is the fan-case arranged about centrally of the upper part of the machine-that is to say, about midway between its ends and about midway between its sides, with its mouth J projecting above the wind trunk H, and toward the tail end of the machine. The part H of the wind-trunk is elevated to inclose the eyes of the fan, the upper sides of this part of the wind-trunk being inclined upward upon opposite sides of the eyes, so as to restrict as little as possible the passage of the air-currents into the fan.

1t will be readily understood by those who are accustomed to working purifiers that the above-described arrangement of air-chambers, supplemental air-chambers, fan, wind-trunk of practically the same width as the machine, and dampers extending the full width of the machine will produce great uniformity in the strength of the air-currents across the entire width of the bolt-cloth-a result which is very desirable for the economical purification of middlings.

K K are movable windows or panels in the side walls of the casing, substantially such as are common in this class of purifiers.

L L L are a series of sample-drawers or dust-boxes sliding in cleats or ways b affixed to the lower side of the partition B.

Z Z Z" Z are openings through the partition into these sliding dust-boxes, and from examination of the drawings it will readily be understood that as the dust-laden air-current is passing from the throats f f f b to the throats h h h", respectively, more or less of the heavier particles of the dust will fall into and be retained by these dust-boxes. Thus the operator is enabled to determine with great accuracy what kind of material is being taken out of the middlings by the air-currents, and so regulate the strength and Velocity of these currents as to effect a thorough purification of the middlings without undue waste, as will be understood without further explanation.

It has been customary in middlings-purifiers to use pockets, shelves, or other receptacles within the casing or air-chambers to collect (lust for the same purpose; but this construction secures very many advantages not attained in prior purifiers. For instance, the material may be examined as often as is desired without disturbing the efficiency or regularity in operation of the air-currents to any such extent as is done by the opening of doors or windows which communicate directly with the air-chambers above the cloth, and which admit air from outside the machine directly into the machine and between the cloth and the wind-trunk. The employment of these removable dust boxes also facilitates withdrawing from the purifier the heavier particles of dust which have been precipitated from the air-currents. Although I have shown these dust-boxes arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the machine, each box of the pair extending about half-way across the machine, I do not wish to be limited to such arrangement, because four boxes might be used instead of the eight, each box being a little more than twice the length of those shown. By preference I provide each of the supplemental airchambers with a door, as at Z to facilitate removing such material as may collect therein.

M M are gather-boards forming a hopperbottomed chamber below the shaker, and M M are conveyers, between which and the hopper-bottomed chamber are a series of pivoted chutes, m m; but as these conveyers, chutes, and the driving-gears, belts, and other appliances may be of any usual or approved construction they need not be described in detail.

N N are brushways arranged below the shaker to engage with the brush-back and hold the bristles up against the cloth of the shaker.

N is the brush, which is driven by suitable belts or chains, (not shown,) but which traverse sprocket-wheels, to be described. By

preference, I mount these brushways so that.

they can be adjusted vertically to insure a proper contact of the bristles with the boltcloth.

The brush-chains are supported at the tail end of the machine upon sprocket-wheels mounted on shafts supported from the rear ends of the brushways, as follows:

Referring to Fig. 9, N is a plate having carrier, N

n is a thumb-screw passing through the slot in the carrier, and into or through the plate N 02' is an adjusting-screw seated in the rib at the end of the plate and bearing against the slotted forked carrier. The rear end of the carrier is forked, the ends of the forks being recessed, as at n, to receive ears or spurs which project from opposite sides ofthesleevebearing a, in which one of the brush-shafts revolves.

At the head end of the machine there is upon each side aplate, 0, having at top and bottom inwardly-projecting flanges 0 0, which are secured to the girts A A", referring particularly to Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8.

O is an inwardly-projecting shelf or flange constituting a way or support upon which slides a tubular beari'ng,P P, the part P having a flattened lower surface and an overhang ing flange, 19. (See particularly Fig. 8.) The brush-shaft Q is supported at each end in one of these tubular bearings, and the sprocket wheels B have hubs r and set-screws r, by which they are secured to the shaft just inside the tubular bearings, whereby these bearings are properly spaced so as to fit closely to the brackets O. i

S (see particularly Figs. 2, 7, 8) is an ad justing-bolt or tension-bolt having its head seated in a socket, 10, formed for its reception upon the front side of the tubular bearing. This tension-bolt projects forward through one of the front posts, A,'of the machine, and receives a nut, T, by means of which devices the position of the front brush-shaft may be properly adjusted to insure that the bruslr chains shall properly traverse the sprocketwheels R R.

I do not wish to be limited to so constructingthe dust-boxes that they can be taken away from the machine, it being apparent that either of the dust-boxes can be moved out endwise through the side wall of the casing far enough to permit removing the dust from such box without taking the box entirely out of the'machine; in fact, it will sometimes be found advantageous to move the dust-box out only so far that its inner end will be in line with the casing, and thereby prevent air-currents from entering at that point while the dust is being taken out of the box.

In order to permit a free access of air to the machine below the shaker, and at the same time guard against the introduction of foreign or deleterious substances or material, and against the interference with the brushes or brushways or the bolt-cloth, I employ panels, each composed of a rectangular frame, U

U, and blind-slats a u,which latter are placed suitable distances apart to permit free. passage of air to the shaker. Under ordinary circumstances I prefer to arrange these blindslats at about the inclination shown in Fig.

5, in order to deflect the air downward as it passes between these slats, thereby insuring a practically uniform distribution of the aircurrent throughout the entire surface of the bolt--cloth, it being apparent that this result is attained more surely by such an arrangement of slats than it would. beif the slats were horizontal, because in the latter case the air-current would be stronger near the edges of the bolt-cloth than it will be in the construction shown; These panels are of such width as to fit closely between the girts A A, and may be conveniently held in place by buttons or latches, forinstance, as indicated at uu, Fig. 1.

I am aware of Patent N 0. 247,215, to Sage, and do not, therefore, claim anything shownin that patent; but my construction and combination of devices for operating the vibrating gate of the feeder possess advantages over that shown in said Sage patent. For instance, in Sage the returning-spring is arranged wholly inside of the hopper, so that in case it becomes broken the hopper must be emptied before a new one could be applied; again, in Sage the position of the pressure-board must be changed whenever the tension of the spring is varied; again, in Sage the spring surrounds a rod the inclination of which relative to the axis of the spring is changed when ever the gate is opened or the tension of the spring varied, sothat the rod is liable to chafe the wire of which the spring is made, unless the diameter of the spring greatly exceeds that of the rod, and even then the variation'roo of the angle between the pressure-board and the front wall of the hopper is liable to cause the center of the spring to buckle and rub against the rod.

All the above difficulties or objections are sesses many advantages over. the construction I I0 shown in that Spence patent. By constructing my machine with the partition B, extending substantially the, entire length and width of the machine in rear of the feed-hopper and arranging the dustboxes below said partition and near the front wall of each subdivision of the air-chamber, with the air-, throats through the partition at the opposite extreme of each subdivision, I accomplish several new and important results. stance, I secure a desirable uniformity in the strength of the air-currents across the entire Width of the machine by causing them to travel in a zigzag path and on horizontal lines after passing through throats, which tend the entire width of the machine. and also facilitate the depositing in the dust-boxes the heavier particles of the material taken from the middlings by the air-currents, it being well understood that such particles are more uniformly and effectually from currents which are moving on horizontal lines. So,

For inalso, it is desirable to draw the air-current toward the tail end of the machine so far as is possible, and this is accomplished in my machine without interferring with the other desirable modes of operation, it being seen that each throat between the main air-chamber and the corresponding supplemental air-chamber is at the rear end of such main air-chamber and immediately adjacent to a transverse partition,which also inclines slightly rearward to further the same result. By the use of removable dust-boxes I also secure marked advantages. For instance, middlings-purifiers are frequently placed in dark places in the mill, where it is impossible to make a satisfactory examination of the material deposited in such boxes. Now, by making them removable they can be taken to a point where sufficient light can be obtained. Again, by the use of removable dust-boxes the mill owner or superintendent can makea careful examination of the material which has been deposited in layers, and thus determine with great accuracy the character of the work which has been done since he made the last examination, an opera tion which is manifestlyimpossible withamachine so constructed that the boxes are not removable. Again, it is sometimes necessary to place one side of a machine so close to a wall partition or another machine that it is practically impossible to get access to the dust chambers or pockets except from one side of the machine, and with machines of ordinary width-say four feet-itis exceedingly difficult to make any careful examination of the dust upon the side of the machine to which access cannot be had; but this objection is obviated in my machine.

Further advantages are also attained by making the boxes in pairs, each box extending about half the width of the machine. For instance, machines are frequently so placed that there is but a narrow passage upon either side, in which case the use of short boxes is exceedingly important, particularly because each box can be emptied by being drawn out only a short distance.

Another advantage which grows out of the use of sliding boxes is this: Such box may be emptied without materially disturbing the aircurrents, because the box may be pulled out such distance that its inner end will stop up the hole in the casing through which the box slides and be kept in this position until its contents are removed.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with the front wall of the feed-hopper, the roller E and the pressure-board D", of the vibrating gate having the upward-proj ecting arm E, the link (1*, connecting the lower end of the pressure-board with the' arm, and a spring arranged between the arm and the feed-hopper and adapted to pull the arm toward the feed-hopper, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the front wall, D,

of the hopper, the roller E, and the pressureboard D of the Vibrating gate having the upward-projecting arm E the link d, connecting the lower end of the pressure-board with the lower end of the arm, the spring d and link d, arranged between the upper end of the arm and the front wall of the hopper, and the thumb-nut d on the end of the link al and engaging with the outer face of the arm, substantially as set forth.

3. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the casing above the shaker, of the partition B and the transverse partitions which divide the space between partition B and the shaker into main air-chambers, the transverse partitions which divide the space between the partition 13 and the deck into supplemental air-chambers, the throats between the main air-chambers and the supplemental air-chambers, the wind-trunk and the throats between the supplemental air-chambers and the windtrunk,the fan,and the dampers extending substantially the entire width of the air-trunk, substantially as set forth.

4. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the shaker, an air-chamber above the shaker, and a fan for producing an air-current upward through the bolt-cloth and the airchamber, of a removable dust-box adapted to collect material taken from the lniddlings by the air-current, substantially as set forth.

5. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the shaker, an air-chamber above the shaker, and a fan adapted to produce an aircurrent upward through the shaker and the air-chamber, of a dust-box adapted to be removed through an opening in the casing of the machine, the sides of the opening fitting closely the sides of the dust-box, substantially as set forth.

6. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the shaker, of an air-chamber above the shaker, a fan adapted to produce an aircurrent upward through the shaker and the air-chamber, of a series of dust-boxes adapted to be removed through openings upon opposite sides of the casing of the machine, substantially as set forth.

7. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the shaker, an air-chamber above the shaker, and a fan adapted to produce an aircurrent upward through the shaker and the air-chamber, of a dust-box arranged transversely of the shaker, and cleats connecting the dust-box with a partition of the air-chamber, whereby the dust-box is adapted to slide through the casing of a machine in a path transverse to the shaker, substantially as set forth.

8. In a middlings-purifier, the combination, with the bolt-cloth, a series of air-chambers above the bolt-cloth, and a series of supplemental air-chambers, of the dust-boxes supported below the partition B and made removable through the openings in the side wall of the machine, substantially as set forth.

IIO

9. Inamiddlings-purifier, the combination, 12. In a Iniddlings-purifier, the combinawith the brushways and the brush-shafts and tion, with the brushways and the brush-shaft, their bearings, of the plate 0, provided with of the plate 0, provided with the inward-prothe inward-projecting shelf 0, substantially jecting shaft, the bearing provided on its 20 5 as set forth. front side with a socket, and the adjusting- 10. In a middlings-purifier, the combinabolt having its rear end seated in the socket, tion, with the brushways and the brush-shaft, substantially as set forth. of the plate 0, provided with the inward-pro- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in jecting shelf 0, and the bearing P 1?, adapted presence of two witnesses.

10 to slide on the shelf, substantially as set forth.

11. In a middlings-purifier, the cornbina- OH ARLES A. SMITH. tion, with the brushways and the brush-shaft, of the plate 0 and the inward-projecting Witnesses: shelf, the bearing sliding on the shelf, and GEO. S. BENNETT,

15 means for adjusting the bearings, substantially DANL. D. SPAULDING.

as set forth. 

